Little Children (2006, U.S.)

Kate Winslet is one of the greatest actresses of her generation, if not all time. And Patrick Wilson is great when the psychologically disturbing and dramatic stuff (see Hard Candy). So a film with such a small cast that revolves around the two of them is sure to be a winner.

In an upper-middle class suburb, the lives of a woman with a porn-addicted husband, a man with a disinterested wife, a disgraced ex-cop, and a convicted sex offender dance around each other. It's hard to tell how they'll align (despite the common neighborhood), but eventually all runs together.

I guess this is supposed to be a film about people who can't control their impulses, but to me it seemed more like a film about people who are trapped in unhappy lives and deal with them in inappropriate ways.

It was sad watching these people pathetically run their lives into the ground. And while it was a powerful film, I think it was just too bleak for me. Still, definitely worth watching.

Rating: 3.5

Revolutionary Road (2008, U.S.)

I have been dying to see this film, which took way too long to come into wide release (considering the number of times I've seen the preview at other movies). My friend Stefanie and I have tried to see it twice already, but complications arose both times. Needless to say, when we saw it today the anticipation was intense. It was a lot different than I imagined it would be; not disappointing, exactly, just different.

I loved that it was a character-driven film, and that very little about those two characters was explicitly defined. Instead, they relied on their actions (and reactions) to allow the viewer to interpret their characters. Sometimes one was the protagonist and the other the antagonist, and it would change again in an instant. I guess I don't need to say that Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio were both phenomenal. They both have such expressive faces (and especially expressive eyes), that I feel like I can read their thoughts like words written across the face.

The plot was intense. a married couple with two children suddenly realizes that the life they're living isn't the life they wanted, and they take out all of their anger on each other and themselves. They try to start a new life, making plans to move to Paris, where the husband thinks people are "more alive." Things start to look better until their plan starts unraveling, and they both go a little bit crazy. One of the taglines, which I love, is "How do you break free without breaking apart?" Even though this film takes place in the '50s, you can easily see it taking place today. There is some definite social commentary about how we live the lives society tells us we should instead of the lives we want. It's beautiful. Interestingly, the character who seems to really see the world as it is and who has the best grip on reality is the neighbor's insane son.

And as we watch Winslet and DiCaprio brilliantly tear each other apart and put each other back together, Thomas Newman's haunting (and somewhat repetitive—but in a good way) score echos them in the background. The score is simply executed, like the rest of the film.

This film is a good one, and I would recommend it. Just be prepared to feel some gut-wrenching despair and to reevaluate your life.

Rating: 4.0

The Reader (2008, U.S.)

I was torn between "liking" and "really liking" this film. Obviously, I recognize that it has some astounding qualities—hence the word "film" instead of movie."

First, the acting. I adore Kate Winslet, and this was one of her best performances yet; she definitely deserves her Oscar nomination. It's unfortunate that one has to spend most of a movie looking completely hideous to get a nomination, but I guess that's just how it is. Her characterization of Hanna Schmitz was subtle and well done; even her accent was consistent. I was also impressed with David Kroß, the 18-year-old German who played young Michael Berg opposite Winslet. (Fiennes played the old Michael Berg.) He is an incredible actor for being so young, and he was able to convincingly portray this boy as a young teenager and then an older law student. He did adult scenes tastefully (and again, convincingly) as if he's been doing this for years. It was only his fifth movie. Lastly, Ralph Fiennes. I go back and forth on whether he is a good actor or not, but in any case I don't think this film was his best. His personality seems to be nonexistant, though this perhaps enables Winslet to shine even more as an old woman.

The plot is definitely not action driven. I would perhaps call it a "slice of life" approach, as it shows key scenes from young Berg's relationship with Hanna, her war crimes trial, and their lives as they age. I really liked that it wasn't in-your-face, instead relying on the viewer to immerse himself in this place and pick up on small details. It was like a character study of Hanna and her relationship to Berg—and to the truth. A very intelligent, high brow kind of film.

One thing that really bothered me was that towards the end, the viewer finds himself trying harder and harder to read into the two characters' motives; their behavior doesn't make sense (perhaps because I personally would have responded to what happened in a different way), and their thoughts are veiled. I think it's clear that this was an adaptation of a book, and there is likely much more elaboration on the thought processes in the novel. This is one weakness of adopting this kind of novel to the screen. (I'll have to read the book to verify.)

Lastly, two of the most important factors: music and setting. I love that almost the entire movie was filmed on location. The viewer can really get a feel for beautiful countryside where Berg and Schmitz spent their summer affair and the urban feel of Berlin. Filming on location is a very wise move in most movies, in my opinion. And the score was lovely. I'd never heard of Nico Muhly, but something tells me he's going places.

I'm not quite sure whether I'd call this one a classic that will stand the test of time, but it is definitely a must-see for this year at least.

Rating: 4.0